Students to receive free packing supplies at Dillon Gym

A new FAQ page on the University website has been created to address student concerns about moving out and storing belongings. Beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, all students will be eligible to pick up free packing supplies — four boxes and two rolls of tape each — from Dillon Gym, and will be permitted to leave unwanted items in their rooms to be discarded or donated.

All students must vacate their dorms by 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 19.

In practice, according to students at Dillon Gym, students who are leaving before noon on Friday are being allowed to take “two boxes and a roll of tape each.” Those leaving after that time are being instructed to come back “at 9 a.m.” on Friday morning, at which point the full supply of four boxes and two rolls of tape will be available.

According to the same source, a shipment of 7,000 boxes will be available Friday morning.

Students on financial aid will receive a $150 credit to their student accounts to aid with the sudden expenses of moving out.

Students were asked to pack in ways that would allow them to leave campus by themselves, rather than requiring family members to assist them, with the goal of “limiting the number of people on campus,” according to the FAQ page.

Students were also asked to “make every effort to empty their rooms,” but will be allowed to leave “unwanted” items in the rooms that should be either be labelled “Donation” or “Unwanted”.

Additionally, the FAQ page stated that students may use University-approved external storage and moving vendors — Campus Storage, Storage Squad, and Bohrens — for their needs this week.

The page reiterated that students may only remain on campus if they meet one of nine specific criteria, such as being a senior performing lab research, an international student from a highly-affected country, or someone facing extreme financial or housing insecurity.

Though the term “financial insecurity” is not clearly defined, the page urges students to leave unless in truly dire financial circumstances.

“If you do not receive full financial aid (“zero parental contribution”) from the University and do not have any other extenuating circumstances, it is unlikely that you need to remain on campus,” it states. “Receiving full financial aid does not in and of itself mean that you have financial insecurity, since you will be receiving a refund that can support your spring semester living costs.”

Students with campus jobs are also encouraged to leave campus.

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“Please remember that campus employment is not a reason to remain on campus,” the webpage states. “We are not sure how long, in fact, campus jobs will continue. We are considering accommodations for students who hold spring term campus jobs and who expected to continue receiving wages from their employment.”